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SC warns States on mid-day meal scheme

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI Sept. 3. The Supreme Court today warned the States not implementing the mid-day meal scheme that it could ask the Centre to stop grants to them if the scheme was not implemented in the Government and Government-aided primary schools.

A three-Judge Bench, comprising the Chief Justice, B.N. Kirpal, Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice Arijit Pasayat put the non implementing States on verbal notice of stoppage of grants. However, the Bench said it would pass an order in this regard on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Bench asked the Attorney General, Soli Sorabjee, whether States which plead that they had no money to implement the scheme, could divert Central funds. But when some of the States sought modification in last year's order making it mandatory for all States to implement the scheme, the Bench observed "we will prohibit transfer of any fund to those States from Centre if the mid-day meal scheme is not implemented''.

The Bench said that it would no longer permit storing of foodgrains with private contractors due to overflowing of the Food Corporation of India's godowns. The judges wanted to know why these excess foodgrains not be distributed among the States for the "food-for-work'' programme. The Bench dismissed applications from some of the States including Delhi, Mizoram, Manipur seeking exemption from the implementation of the scheme.

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